Travels in Kamtschatka, During the Years 1787 and 1788 Volume . 2

Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1790 edition. Excerpt: ...through a wood of birch trees. One of my guides, suffering himself to descend like the rest, by the mere force of the slope, from the top of the mountain to the bottom, was overturned by the shock of a fledge, which struck against him just as he was turning an angle, He endeavoured to lay hold of the trunk of a tree, and unfortunately fell upon the pointed end of his stick, which entered his fide; he had also received a violent blow in the head, and we were obliged to-place him on one of our baggage sledges. At the spot of the mountain we had another ther perplexity, occasioned by the sea being broken up. How great had been our risk during the night! My conductors were terrified at it equally with myself. - What "will become of us," cried they?" It is "now that we have the most alarming "dangers to encounter." Dissembling my uneasiness, I attempted to encouraged them. We continued our course for some time along the shore; a melancholy silence prevailed among my people, whose countenances were expressive of consternation. In about half an hour the person at the head of the file suddenly stopped, exclaiming that it was not possible to proceed any farther. I conceived at first that his terror magnified the difficulties, and I sent my soldier Golikoff with one of the most experienced of my guides to examine our situation. They quickly came back, and confirmed the ill tidings. Golikoff advised that we mould return, and endeavour tp find a way by land, but my guides rejected his counsel, declaring that it was nearly impossible to ascend, on this side, the mountain we had just passed, and that even if we succeeded, the route would be too considerable, and also too dangerous on account of the rapidity of the thaw, and...show more